Wizards, Alchemist, And Sins- Oh My!
by Wings Of Sanguine
Summary: Searching for teh Philosopher's Stone, the Elric brothers find themselves in Fiore, where the citizens are all wizards and have no idea what alchemy is! After staying in fairy Tail, the brothers ensue the help of Lucy and her friends to find teh stone before the Seven Deadly Sins do- provided they don't destroy the guild in the process! (DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FMA OR FAIRY TAIL!)
1. Chapter 1

"Damn it, Alphonse!" Edward hissed at his brother under his breath, "you're starting to rust again!" Gripping the rag tighter, her scrubbed away at the armor that sat besides him- his brother, in fact. And right now, his brother was getting rusty, unable to move due to their getting caught in the rain.

"Sorry big brother," Alphonse apologized, hanging his head- a helmet with a fancy feather plume twirling behind him. Edward sighed. It was a year since they were suck like this, so he should have been able to get used to it by now.

"Yeah, it's okay," Edward said softly, "I just want you to be able to keep up is all, you know?" Alphonse nodded, the bench they sat upon creaking under their weight. A cold breeze drafted into the restaurant, whistling as it played with the hems of the tablecloths and his coat, whipping the ends of his bangs in his face. Goosebumps made a special guest appearance on his skin, despite the fact he was wearing such a long coat.

"How does it feel, ed?" Alphonse asked, his tinny voice having a melancholy feel to it.

"How does what feel?" Ed asked.

"To feel the wind on your skin? How does it feel?" Edward chuckled- more to himself then to the question. Sometimes he forgot that Alphonse wasn't able to see or touch or feel things the way he used to. Ever since then.

"To be honest, bud," Ed sighed heavily, leaning back on the bench, "it feels-"

"OLD MAN!" boomed a voice, making Edward and Alphonse jump in their seats. Looking around, they noticed a group of teenagers walk into the restaurant, two boys and two girls.

"Natsu, calm down!" said one of the girls. She had blond hair, her bangs swept to one side with a ponytail tied off in one area, the rest kept long. She was wearing a blue and white shirt, a ring of keys attatche dot a belt on her blue skirt. Along with the keys was a deep red whip, on her feet a pair of thigh high brown leather boots.

"No! He has to be here, Lucy! He has to!" Natsu- a pink spiky haired kid with a scaly white scarf, sandals and blue hammer pants- yelled, clenching his fists. Edward motioned for Alphonse to be silent, holding a gloved finger to his lips. Sneaking a peek at the group, he thought, _Can they see us…?_

"Come on, Natsu," the second boy said, running a hand through his spiky black hair, "you're so annoying when it comes to Master Makarov being late…" Edward looked him p and down, seething with envy: the kid was tall with a perfect muscular build.

"Little brother," Alphonse whispered, "don't you think Armstrong would be proud of his physique?" Edward laughed at is brother's joke.

"Yeah, i think he would," Edward snickered as he watched the second girl- a tall woman with hair the color of a fire engine- _Is that even natural?_ he thought- wearing a set of armor and a blue skirt- punched him upside the head, reminding him slightly of their teacher.

"Shut up, Gray," she demanded. Gray Fullbuster rubbed his head, a large bump already forming.

"Whatever," he said, "I'm going to bed. See you guys later." Abling past the bar area, Edward and Alphonse sunk in their seats, Alphonse's armored body creaking loudly, the sound echoing off the cavernous walls of the restaurant. Gray froze immediately, turning back to his friends.

"Did you guys hear that?" he asked, his icy eyes slithering around warily. edward felt sweat prickle on his skin as he heard his footsteps get closer.

"Damn it, Alphonse!" Edward muttered under his breath, "did you rely have to get rusty at a time like this?!" Alphonse jabbed his finger into his brother's cheek.

"Maybe if you decided to get on the train I wouldn't be rusty!" he hissed back shrilly.

"Shut up!" Edward clapped a hand to his brother's mouth, "they'll hear you!"

"Too late," came a voice, "we already did." Face going pale, Edward glanced up to see Gray's face leering above them, a twisted grin on his face. Lucy's heels clicked not eh polished marble floor as she ran up to him.

"What did you find. Gr- oh…?" she said as she looked down on the bench, although Alphonse was big enough o be seen without bending down as she had done.

"Who are you?" Gray demanded, his face turning stone cold, "and why are you in here?"

"Wha-?" Edward asked, completely confused- was it illegal to be in a restaurant here?!

"Who are you?" he repeated, "and why are you here?" As soon as he said it, the other two had join them, completely surrounding the two brothers.

"Uh, well, I'm…. Alphonse," Alphonse said hesitantly, "and this is my brother Edward. We-"

"Last name!" Gray demanded, his voice echoing in the air, loud and menacing.

"E-E-Elric!" Alphonse sputtered. If he could, he would shave been crying out fear at that very moment.

"Gray, I don't think you should be yelling," Lucy admonished, standing to her full height.

"And why not?" Gray shot back, "they're intruders, aren't they?!" Edward widened his eyes with shock. _Oh shit…_ he thought, feeling sweat bead on his forehead.

"D-do you own this restaurant?" he asked sheepishly. The foursome gave him a confused look.

"Huh?" Natsu asked, scratching his head.

"The restaurant?" Ed repeated, "if you were closing up shop, we apologize if we intruded-"

The four teens burst out laughing, hooting as loud as they could. Edward and Alphonse exchanged glances- what was going on?

"Wh-why are you laughing….?"

"Because, silly!" Lucy wiped a tear from her eye, she was laughing so hard, "this isn't… ha! This isn't a restaurant!"

"it's not….?" Lucy shook her head.

"This is our guild!" she exclaimed, holding her stomach as she burst into another fit of giggles. _A guild….?_ he thought, embarrassed as they all laughed at his expense. As soon as the laughter died down, Erza stepped forward, her hands on her hips.

"All good tidings aside," she said in a no- nonsense tone, "what brings you here? Are you travelers?"

"Um, I guess you could say that," Edward said, tugging nervously at the end of his braid. Erza juttted her chin at Alphonse, "And is that your amor for when you fight?" Ed's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he shook his head vigorously.

"No! No! Why would i do that?!" he cried.

"Okay, okay! Calm down it as just a question!" Erza said, "if it isn't for fighting, then what is it for?" Edwadr cast his golden eyes down so he was staring at his lap.

"You, uh…. you wouldn't believe me if I told you," he explained, his hands beginning to shake. Natsu cocked his head, looking like a curious puppy.

"What do you mean?" he piped up, "I mean, we've seen some pretty weird shit ourselves!" His tone was almost cocky, exuberant as he made this bold statement, flashing the brothers a wide, confident grin showing off sharpened canines. _Almost like a vampire_, Edward thought as he let a nervous laugh slip past his lips. Shaking his head forlornly, he said, "You still wouldn't believe me even if I explained…" The boy's gold eyes seemed to have a… sadness about them when he said this, as if he was humiliated or shamed by whatever had happened.

"Um, maybe we could ask Master Makarov if you could stay here for a night?" Lucy asked gently, her voice calming and warm. Alphonse burst out laughing, his voice souning tinny as it escaped the helmet he had for a head. The four wizards eyes widened with shock- someone had been in there all this time!

"Sorry, sorry…." Alphonse apologized, "bu ou guys are willing to take in complete strangers?" Lucy shrugged, her face going slightly red.

"Well, yeah," she explained, "I mean, it's what Guilds are supposed to do. House travelers when they come by and supply jobs." Edward snapped his head up, gold res filled with a new light.

"You guys have jobs?!" he cried, ecstatic, a smile growing on his face. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah! We have tons of jobs! All sorts of jobs!" the pink haired boy said. Turning to his brother, Edward said, "Al! Do you know what this means?!"

"That we'll get paid?" Al suggested, garnering laughs from their newfound friends.

"No, you idiot! It means that if we do enough ons and get paid enough, we can buy the Philosopher's Stone off whoever has it!"

"What does this have to do with the stone?' Al asked.

"Think about it!" Ed was nearly shouted, receiving weird looks front eh others. He didn't care though. After a year, he and his brother might finally have a chance to restore their bodies!

"Well, whatever it is you're so excited about, why don't we grab you guys some blankets and see you in the morning, okay?" Lucy said, ushering the others to the set of stairs nearby.

"There's no need for that, but thanks," Alphonse called after them. Lucy shook her head.

"As a member of this Guild, it's our job to provide travelers needs if hey ever come along, so it's okay, really!" she called back as she started up the stairs.

"O-oh, okay then," Alphonse said, "thank you!" Sighing, he watched them as they disappeared up the stairs, the wooden structure creaking as they took each step up two at a time.

"Hey, Ed-" he began, stopping when he found his brother lying down on the bench, drooling as he snored loudly. Al sighed, carefully slipping the red coat off his brother, laying it over him to serve as a blanket.

"You're so sloppy, big brother," he said, "you're stomach was showing again." Instead of a yell or the usual reaction, he was answered by a snore, along with some sniffling. Nodding, Al settled himself as comfortably as he could n the bench as Lucy came back down, holding a large fleece blanket.

"Here you go!" she said, handing it to him, "do you need help taking off your armor?" Alphonse shook his head- there was no way he was going to tell her he was the armor, but he guessed he could save it for tomorrow if she asked.

"It's okay, really," he said.

"Okay, well, good night!" she said cheerfully, king back tot the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Yeah," Al said, glancing down at his brother, "good night."


	2. Chapter 2

Coming down the stairs, the first thing Lucy noticed was the blanket sitting on the table, neatly folded from the night before. The second thing she noticed was that Edward was snoring as loud as could be. And the suit of armor-_ Alphonse, was it?_ - was sitting up, his back ramrod straight. Carefully, she tiptoed over to them, sliding into the bench across from them.

"Good morning!" she greeted them, a smile on her face.

"Good morning Lucy!" said Alphonse, "how was your rest?"

"It was alright," she answered, kicking her legs idly under the table like a five year old child, "what about you? Did you manage to get any sleep?"

"Oh, uh…" he said, suddenly nervous- how was he going to explain it to her? Lucy raised an eyebrow in her confusion, fix in ghee wrinkled clothes. Since she and the others had not gone back to her house, she didn't have a set of pajamas with her, and neither did they.

"Alphonse, right?" Lucy asked, just to make sure. Names often slipped her mind. Alphonse nodded

"Yeah?"

"Aren't you hot inside that armor?" she asked, and Alphonse sighed, glad that she changed the subject. A series of groans and mumbles escaped from Edward as he began to toss fitfully, banging his head against his brother's leg.

"Oh, uh, no, no I'm not," Alphonse said quickly. There was another bang as edward hit his head for a second time. A bruise was already starting to form. Strands of hair were coming out of his braid, his bangs in his face. Lucy was about to protest when the doors of the guild creaked open, a long shadow being cast across the floor. In walked a short old man, his hair white, his beard spiked up at the ends. He wore a yellow button down shirt with orange pants, the cuffs of his shirt sporting frills. His boots slapped the floor as he walked in, his eyes scanning the area before resting on Lucy and Alphonse.

"Ah, Lucy!" he said, nodding in greeting, "I see you have a guest?"

"Master Makarov, this is Alphonse," Lucy introduced as the old man toddled over.

"I see," Master Makarov said, squinting his eyes up at the suit of armor. Turning to Lucy, he said, "is he looking to join Fairy Tail?" Alphonse shook his head.

"Oh, no! We wouldn't want to trouble you any further, you've been so kind to us already!" Makarov raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"'We'?" he asked, "you're with someone else?"

"My brother, Edward," alphonse said. Edward quieted down now, going back to snoring as loud as a freight train's engine. Nodding, his eyes trailed across the red trench coat that served as a blanket, eyeing the black alchemy symbols that was emblazoned on it.

"I see…." the old man trailed off, rubbing his noticed Alphonse tense up as the old man scrutinized him, wondering if he was drench din sweat by now.

"Um, Master?" she asked, trying her best to break the awkward silence that had ensued, "what time are the others coming?"

"About five minutes," the guild master answered, taking a quick glance at his watch, "so i suggest you two move before Cana comes."

"Um, okay?" Alphonse said, confused, reaching over to shake his brother, stoping short as his body creaked, until his arm came to a complete stop half bent as he muttered under his breath, "Shit!"

"Well?" Makarov questioned, "are you going to wake him up or not?" Lucy looked from Makarov to Alphonse- why was Master Makarov being so intimidating? Already, other members of the guild started to file in, Natsu, Erza and Gray coming downstairs, yawning and stretching.

"Uh… Edward?" Alphonse said to his brother, who had gone back to mumbling in his sleep.

"No…." Edward said, banging his head against his leg.

"Brother….?"

"No, please….. Mommy no….." Edward moaned, the bruise getting larger as he hit his head for a fourth time. Alphonse gave the two wizards what he hoped was an apologetic look- it was fought o convey emotion when you didn't have a face after all.

"I apologize," he said, using this other arm (which thankfully hadn't rusted all the way) to shake his brother awake, Edward blinking as light flooded his field of vision.

"Huh…?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eyes, "where….? Oh, yeah." Getting into a sitting position, he stretched, yawning. His red coat crumpled into a heap in his lap.

"Good morning," Makarov said, surprising the young alchemist who jumped slightly. Makarov lauded at the boy's reaction, "I apologize. i didm' mean to startle you. Lucy was just telling me that you two stayed the night. Travelers, I presume?" Ed nodded, rubbing the bruise on his head.

"Yeah," Ed agreed, "and we would like to thank you, but we have to go." With a grunt, he hopped lightly to the floor, brushing himself off. The old man glared at him.

"Why are you leaving so soon when you haven't even had anything to eat?" Makarov asked, pointing over to a set of stools that sat in front of a counter not eh far side of the wall. _Wow_, Ed thought as he watched the old man walk ahead of him,_ finally, some one is shorter then me! _

"Uh, that isn't really necessary…" Edward tried his best to protest, giving his brother a look that cried for help. Alphonse sat useless, his armor having rusted to the point where he couldn't get up. The rag Ed had used to try to clean him up was sitting on the floor, having fallen out of his grasp while he slept. Ed's stomach suddenly growled, rumbling like a lion's roar.

"It seems that it is necessary," Makarov said, then to Lucy, "go unlock the windows, alright? It's a bit stuffy in here." Noded, Lucy got up and went to perform the task, chatting with a few of her friends along the way. As soon as Lucy had left, Makarov turned to Alphonse, "Well? Are you going to join us?"

"Uh…." Alphonse said nervously, "I think I'll sit here!"

"Son, you don't want to sit in Cana's booth," Makarov warned, "she hates when people do." Alphonse gulped- he and edward in trouble now.

"Well, i would, but-"

"But what?"Makarov cut the boy off.

"-But he can't walk!" Ed lied, "yeah! He broke his leg on the way here after we almost got hit by some insane driver!" Alphonse sigh din relief, but the look on Makarov's face said he didn't belied it one bit.

"Well, in that case, why don't we take the armor off and have a look?" Makarov said, making it sound like a challenge, and quite loudly. other members were now listening in, curious as to see what was happening with the newcomers. Over at the window, Mirajane tapped Lucy on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Lucy, what's going on over there?" she asked, smoothing the hem of her purple dress.

"Oh, Master Makarov is talking with the Elric brothers," Lucy answered nonchalantly, sun light glaring in her face as she swung the windows open. Mirajane glanced at them- the blond one was incredibly short, maybe a foot taller then Makarov, while the one in armor towered over them, "The tall one- does he ever take off his armor?"

"You mean Alphonse?" Lucy asked, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. Mirajane nodded. Lucy shook her head, "Apparently not. He has to be sweating like a pig though."

"Do you know what kind of wizard they are?" Mirajane asked.

"I guess Alphonse would use Re-Quip magic, like Erza," Lucy suggested, "but I'm most sure about Edward.."

"The blond one?" Lucy nodded.

"Yeah," she confirmed, "do you reckon he has Make Magic?" Mirajane shook her head, laughing lightly.

"I don't think so," she said, "after all, Gray is a tad rambunctious. Maybe he mastered all the elements like Master Makarov?" Lucy cocked her head.

"Yeah, but at such a young age?" she asked skeptically, "he has to be at least sixteen or seventeen, no?" She suddenly felt her neck snap forward, her head colliding with something the size of a fist.

"Ow!" she shouted as Mirajane caught her before she hit the floor, "what the heck?!" Floating in the air, wings flapping was Happy, Natsu's pet cat and best friend. "Happy?!"

"Hi Lucy!" the cat said in a high pitched voice, doing a flip in mid-air.

"Happy! What did I repeatedly tell you about flying in through the window?!" Lucy scolded, but to no avail. The winged cat was already shooting off to cause trouble with Natsu. Rubbing the back of her head, she noticed Edward was gaping at the blue furred animal, gold eyes wide with shock as she heard him shout from across the room, "You guys know how to do transmutation on animals?!" Mirajane furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What's he talking about?" she asked, trying to rack her brain to see if she remembered what that meant. She and never heard of it in her studies before.

"I think he's talking about some sort of new magic," Lucy said. Mirajane shrugged, waving with a flick of her wrist, "You're probably right. Why don't we just go and eat something? I'm starving!" Nodding, Lucy followed pursuit as they grabbed plates over at the buffet table, sitting down at Cana's booth where the brothers were, careful not to take Cana's spot on the bench. Edward and Makarov were going at it, the old wizard scratching his head in confusion.

"Is that some sort of new magic technique?" he asked. Edward shook his head.

"No! No!" he said with frustration, trans mutation is making something out of something else for something in return!" Lucy and Mirajane exchanged glances- the ki had to be crazy.

"I'm sorry," Makarov said, "you've lost me…" Edward slapped his forehead, the white fabric of his gloves rough against his skin.

"Never mind, never mind…." he sighed with defeat. Makarov jutted his chin at Alphonse, "Sorry, but is he going to get u any time soon?"

"I, uh, can't…." Alphonse said. Lucy swore she saw the helmet turning red (if that were even possible).

"What do you mean you can't?" Makarov asked, "Cana will be here soon and if she finds you sitting there she will destroy half the guid! And you don't want that, do you?"

"No, it's just- last night we got caught int eh rain and I sort of rusted a lot and now that I'm dry I can't move!" At this, edward paled, hanging his head, much to everyone's shock.

"You rusted?" the wizard said with disbelief. Alphonse nodded.

"Yeah."

"How? Can't you take it off?"

"He can't," Exward said after a few seconds of silence."

"Of course he can-" the old man scoffed, gulping when Edward shot him a glare.

"He can't take the armor off because he _is_ the armor," Edward spat out eh words with venom, "and it's my fault."


	3. Chapter 3

Winry Rockbell wandered the streets, her long blond ponytail brushing her back. In one hand she carried her toolbox, the other she used to pull up the annoying black bandeau top she had decided to where which showcased what she considered to be her greatest asset: her boobs and their miles of cleavage. Around her waist was tied a sweatshirt that flapped against her legs each time she took a step. She could feel the cobblestone streets against her feet through the thin soles of her flip-slops. whys he chose to wore them she didn't know. They were extremely old and extremely uncomfortable, given to her by her grandmother as a birthday present a few years back.

"Good God, where's a map store when you need one?!" she muttered to herself, looking around the town square. All around her were people bustling about doing whatever errands they needed that day. A woman with a stroller wave dyer hello as she passed, Winry passing on a smile. She felt sweat bead on her head underneath the gray bandana she wore on her head, but it kept her neck protected from the sun, so she guessed it was worth the sacrifice. _Besides_, she thought, _I don't have time to care if I look sweaty or not. I need to find where this guild is so I could do my job and then go home! _

"What was the name of it again…?" she said out loud to herself as she turned a corner, two or three guilds lined u on either side of the Fiore decided to base itself on magic was beyond her understanding- she herself chose to live for working on auto mail.

"I don't want that one…" she said to herself as she eyed a guild to her right, the wood painted a bright blue color, a wooden mermaid figure fixed on the arch. As soon as she looked to her right, she gawked.

It was the guild she was looking for, alright._ I just didn't think it would look so…. plain_, she thought, slightly disappointed. The whole building was the plain born color of oaken wood, flags decorating the perimeter of the roof. On the archway was Fairy Tail's wooden symbol: something that she guessed was supposed to be a bird with a long pointed tail. Sighing, she gripped her toolbox tighter.

"I hope the pay is worth the journey…" she grumbled, pushing open the doors and going inside.


	4. Chapter 4

"Now Winry is gonna frickin' yell at me!" ed suddenly whined, clutching his head in despair. The armor froze, the brothers sharing a look of fear at the realization.

"I told you we should have taken the train!" Alphonse yelled at edward, furious.

"And i told you to pack more money!" Edward shot back. The wizards shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to do.

"It's not my fault you let the wallet!"

"I did not lose the wallet!"

"Did too! You dropped it at the bus stop!"

"Well at least i didn't knock over her paperwork earlier!

"You know I'm too big to fit in certain amounts of space, big brother!" Lucy and Mirajane exchanged nervous looks- was it really a good time to be fighting? Master Makarov cleared his throat as the two kept at it. Lucy noticed from across the room Natsu and Gray going pale with shock and awe- for once someone else was doing the damage without actually destroying anything.

"Boys…" Makarov warned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You aren't exactl the sharpest tool in the box, Al!"

"Well…." Alphonse faltered, then, "you're bossy!" Edward glared at his brother.

"Don't you dare…."

"Why? Freedom of speech, right?"

"Boys, please!" Makarov said, his voice curt.

"I know you wouldn't say that, Al," Edward said calmly, clasping his hands together.

"And I know you're gonna overreact," Alphonse hissed.

"I will not!"

"Will too!"

"Dude," Natsu said, leaning closer to Gray, "they're worse then us!" Gray could only nod as he watch din complete and utter silence, slightly impressed. At this point, Makarov was at the end of his rope, tapping his foot angrily against the wooden paneling on the floor. The two open their mouths to shout some more when Makarov finally piped up.

"That is ENOUGH!" he bellowed, shocking everyone into silence. Edward blinked, surprised that he was being bossed around by someone shorter then him. Then again, Makarov was the only adult in the room, everyone else looking to be children or teenagers.

"You to are worse then Natsu and Gray!" Makarov exclaimed with exasperation.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted from across the room suddenly, "I resent that!"

"Shut up, Natsu!" Makarov yelled back, "honestly you get so annoying I can't hear myself think!" Rubbing his forehead, he continued calmly, "I need everyone out of my way today because I have a mechanic coming to fix the plumbing issue we've been having or the past week, alright?" There was a low din as everyone mumbled their agreements and some their apologies.

"Now that everyone understands," Makarov heaved a sigh, "Edward and Alphonse, get something to eat before you go. The rest of you I expect to pick a job off the board for later this week."

The doors of the guild suddenly swung open and in walked the mechanic-

"Winry!" Edward squealed like a pig, trying to push Alphonse off the bench as she walked in, surveying the bar and restaurant area. She was wearing what she usually wore: sweatpants and a black bandeau top with flip flops, a sweatshirt around her waist and a bandana wrapped around her head, her long blond hair tied up in a ponytail.

"Dude!" Edward panted, wiping his brow, "are you like, glued to the seat or something?!"

"Hey! You're the one who let the rust dry!" Alphonse accused, trying got push himself up from the wooden seat. Mirajane laughed, pointing to Winry.

"Lucy! She looks like you!" Mirajane pointed out. Lucy shook her head, examining the mechanic who had just walked in. Sure, they both had blond hair, but other then that she couldn't see it.

"Absolutely not," Lucy said with a shake of her head.

"Whatever," Mirajane said, picking up her fork and picking anther omelette, "I think you do." Lucy watched as the brothers tried their best to hide while Master Makarov was talking to the girl. She was pretty- and she had great boobs, her bandeau top showing off all that lusciousness. She blushed, pulling up the zipper on her shirt, covering up her own set of breasts.

Master Makarov ushered her over to the stairs, "Miss Rockbell, I thank you of rooming to attend to our humble Guild." Winry pushed, embarrassed that everyone was looking at her.

"No problem, Mister Makarov," she said with a nervous laugh, "It's my job, so… yeah! Ha ha!" Looking around, she noticed two girls- one with long lavender colored hair, another with blond had tied off in area with a blue bow- looking at her, the purple haired one eating an omelette. Seeing the food, her stomach grumbled softly. She hadn't bothered eating breakfast that morning since she had woken up late. Makarov raised an eyebrow.

"Hungry?" he asked politely. Winry shook her head.

"No! No, I'm fine!" she protested quickly, but her stomach gave her away, growling louder then before. Suddenly Winry found herself being ushered over to the table where the two girls sat, the blond moving over and patting the spot next to her.

"Th-thank you…" she sputtered, slightly embarrassed as the short old man pushed her down into the chair saying, "I'll have Lisanna bring something over for you."

"I'm Mirajane," the purple haired girl said, putting her form down. Winry nodded a small hello as the blond said, "I'm Lucy. How come Masre Makarov called in a mechanic?"

"Oh, he contacted me saying the plumbing here needs work…" Winry said sheepishly as Lisanna- a girls ith the same face and hair color a Mirajane (although it was cut short, reaching her chin) placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her, the smell tantalizing as it reached her nostrils.

"Thank you," Winry said to Lisanna, who smiled and turned to Mirajane, "Big sister, have you seen the travelers who came last night?"

"Travelers?" Winry asked as Mirajane nodded and sent her sister away.

"Yeah, these two came in last night, stayed over a little bit," Mirajane explained.

"What did they look like?"

"One was a in a suit of armor and refused to take it off," Mirajane said, biting her lip as she tried to remember. Lucy noticed Winry's look of sudden shock. _A suit of armor?_ Winry thought,_ is it Alphonse?_

"Do you know them?" she asked.

"Who was the other one?" Winry asked quickly, her voice full of worry.

"Uh, he has blond hair, wearing a red coat," Mirajane said, describing Edward, "and he was short…"

"I AM NOT SHORT!" came Edward's sudden protest as he jumped up from his hiding spot, surprising the three girls.

"I-I apologize for any inconvenience!" mirajane said with alarm as she ducked from Edward's fist swinging at her head.

"Edward!" Winry shouted, "what are you doing here?!" Lucy blinked as Mirajane sat back up- she knew them?!

"Hey, Winry…." Ed greeted bashfully, his face going red as her face contorted into one of fury.

"I thought the government officials told you to stay home?" Winry said, her voice filling each word with poison.

"About that…." Ed said, wiping sweat from his brow.

"And why is Al with you?" Winry asked, pointing to the armor.

"He's my brother!" Ed cried, I'm not leaving him!" The armor wiggled its fingers, "Hello, Winry!" Winry sent a glare his way, making the armor quake with fear.

"That's exactly why you should have kept him home!" Winry cried, "what if people knew?!"

"But they don't so it's okay!" Edward shot back. growling, Winry banged her toolbox on the table, pulling out a wrench.

"Come on, Winry….!" Edward pleaded. Natsu and Gray exchanged sideways glances- what was she going o do with the wrench? Shove it down his throat? Instead of either of those things, she smashed it over his head, a bump forming on the boy's head.

"Now, Miss Rockbell-" Makarov began.

"WHAT?!" Winry turned on him, her face so red it looked as if steam was going to blow out of her ears. Calmly, the old man stood on his toes to reach out and push her arm down until it rested at her side, uncurling her fingers from the wrench. It clattered against the table as it fell from her hand.

"I think you're getting too worked up," Makarov said, his voice soothing, "an besides, you're here for a job, no?" Winry sighed, gingerly picking up a piece of bacon between her fingers. The old man had a point.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving away his explanation as if it were a fly buzzing annoyingly in her ear. Sighing, Ed slumped over on the bench, rubbing his aching head.

"Good. Now finish up and come work on the plumbing," Makarov ordered. Ed tried his best to stifle a laugh, Al's armor shaking as he did the same. Winry shot them a pointed look, shrugging her shoulders, "What?"

"You're working on the plumbing?!" Ed questioned her between giggles.

"Yeah, so?"

"Did it ever occur to you that you've never done any mechanic work like that in your life?" Alphonse pointed out. Winry shrugged, even though deep down she knew they were right. Makarov raised an eyebrow in question.

"What is it now?" he asked, jumping up onto the bench next to Mirajane, folding his hands in front of him.

"Nothing, sir," Winry said, shoving food in her mouth, "jut finishing up is all!"

"It's not nothing!" Ed cut in, "your mechanic is not the plumbing kind!"

"Ed!" Winry shouted, her voice slightly whiny.

"What? It's true!" Makarov raised a hand to silence them, sighing heavily. By now Lucy and Mirajane had stopped eating, sitting in complete silence as their guid Master looked slightly pissed off.

"If she isn't that kind of mechanic, then what kind of mechanic is she?" Makarov asked.

"I hate you, you know that?" Winry hissed at Ed as he slipped off the left arm of his coat.

"I know you don't," Ed said, clearing his throat, "Winry works as a special type of mechanic. Back in Resemboole-"

"Resemboole?" Lucy chimed in, "isn't that a village somewhere in the East?" Ed nodded.

"Yeah," he went on, "anyway, back home, windy and the Old Hag- her grandma- run somewhat of a clinic, if you really wanna call it that."

"So you work with medicine?" Makarov suggested.

"No, not medicine," Ed said for the blushing mechanic, "but prosthetics."

"So…. you build body parts for other people?" Winry nodded.

"Yeah," she said, running a hand through her ponytail nervously, "it's kind of a hobby of mine."

"What kind of prosthetics, if I can ask?" Makarov inquired. At this, Ed whipped off the right arm of his coat with a flourish, the red fabric settling gently on the floor. Suddenly, the old man's eyes widened in awe, a vein on his neck looking as if it were going to pop at any moment.

"This," Ed gestured to the metal limb attached at his shoulder, "is what we back in Resembool call automail. It's more advanced then the regular wooden prosthetic, and can withstand almost anything when made of titanium." Winry rolled her eyes, trying gear best not to look too flattered by his praise.

"Okay, you're making me blush!" Winry cooed, her face as red as Ed's coat.

"You made it?" Lucy asked in astonishment. Winry nodded.

"Yeah," she said, "I'm the only female mechanic back home along with my grandma. I was raised by doctors, so it wasn't hard to connect the natural nerves to the artificial ones during the surgery." Lucy suddenly paled.

"S-s-surgery….?" she stammered, sweat beading on her skin as she shot a glance at Edward, suddenly noticing the strange railroad tracks of scars slithering out from underneath the area attached to his body. _That looks extremely painful…._ she thought as Natsu piped up from across the room, "Is it painful?!" Edward shrugged.

"Only for the first week or so, with the physical therapy, the high fevers, coughing up blood. But now that I'm able to walk ad run properly again it was worth it!"

"Run? I thought it was only your arm!" Natsu called.

"The accident resulted in the loss of a leg as well as an arm…." Ed trailed off. Alphonse raised a hand, his armor creaking as he did so.

"For what it's worth," he said, "I lost my entire body."


	5. Chapter 5

"Tell it to me again," Master Makarov demanded, his face grim with shock. Ed sighed, exchanging a tired look with Winry, who sat and rearranged her toolbox for the millionth time. He had already explained the story three times. Was it that hard to understand? The rest of the guild had taken up seats by now, listening intently as Ed opened his mouth again.

"Why…." he asked, "are they eating popcorn?" Edward asked, pointing to Gray and Natsu. Both had their cheeks stuffed so full of the salty snack that they looked like chipmunks.

"Just say it again," Master Makarov repeated, stroking his white beard.

When we were young-" Ed began again with a heavy sigh. As soon as he got tot eh part about losing his limb, for the fourth time, his face froze, a look of placid disgust and pain in his eyes, although the guild was oblivious, booing and yelling when he didn't continue. _How do they expect me to repeat this story?_ he thought, jumping slightly when Winry put her hand on his shoulder- his real one, not the cold artificial he wore.

"Ed?" she asked gently, her voice rising an octave, "are you okay?" Slowly, he looked up at her, his gold eyes brimming with tears. Giving him a small smile, she addressed the members of the guild, "I think we're gonna stop here. Ed needs his rest and I need to go home soon."

"Awww!" Natsu and Gray whined, the rest f the members voicing they upset opinions. It was after all the most exciting story they had heard to date, much better then the story about Erza getting kidnapped, which resulted in, well, they didn't even want to remember. Alphonse creaked as he stood up and bowed slightly.

"My brother is tired, and Winry needs to rest up for tomorrow," e echoed Winry, "so please-"

"Can't you at least get to the good part?!" Happy piped up. He was nestled comfortably in Natsu's spiky pink locks, tail wagging idly.

"What?" Edward said, his voice barry a whisper as he furiously wiped at his eyes. _Is he crying?_ Lucy thought.

"The good part!" Happy exclaimed, Natsu and Gray nodding in agreement.

"What good part…?"

"The part where you lose your bro-" The three jumped as he suddenly banged his fists on the table, Wintry's tools rattling.

"There is no good part!" he shouted.

"But you tell it so well!" Natsu whined,

"Don't you get it?!" Ed shouted in a fit of rage, "I tell it so well because I was there! It happened to me! And Al! There is no good part to the story! I lost the things that mattered most in my life and now I have to try to fix it! You think that's good?!" Lucy widened her eyes at the boys- how could the be so insensitive?!

"But aren't you trying to find the stone?" Locke piped up from the third row of members, running a hand through his orange hair.

"What good is the stone if I have no idea how to use it?!" Ed ranted, his voice getting louder with each word, "what good is the stone if every single one I find is a fucking fake?! what good-"

"Okay, Ed, calm down…" Winry began rubbing his back nervously. She had seen him upset, but he had never resorted to yelling and screaming like a child.

"- is the stone if I find out it's fake, huh?! A fraud?!" Ed continued, his face as red as his coat.

"Why don't you make one yourself?" Mirajane suggested.

"I can't do that!" Ed suddenly broke down sobbing, letting the tears flow freely as his yelling subsided, making way for blubbering nd mucus dripping down his nose and not his chin. Natsu opened his mouth to add something, but faltered, closing it instead as they watched Al help Ed stand up. Winry began packing her tools.

"I think I'll catch the next train then," she said, giving the alchemist a warm hug, "so get home safely, okay?" After hugging the armor, Winry exited the guild, glancing over user shoulder one last time before the doors slammed behind her. She looked almost sad, Lucy thought as Alphonse was directed upstairs, where he and Edward could use a room to stay for a while.

"I think I'll go up alone, Al," Ed said, pushing his brother away, shooing him to go join their new buddies, if he wanted to call them that. The circle had dispersed, leaving only Natsu, gray, Lucy and Mirajane to sit in their places, watching woefully.

"Are you sure?" Al asked, "I mean, Winry said you would need to take the auto mail off before bed for the first week, just to make sure you're able to-" Lucy and the others suddenly paled- she really hoped they wouldn't have to help him with that any time soon."

"Get it on and off, I know, I know," Edward chastised, "but I'm tired."

"I-if you're sure," the hollowness of his brother's voice echoed in his ears as he ambled up the stairs, shoulders hunched. As soon as he disappeared up the stairs, Al turned to find Happy flying around his head, swatting the long feather that poked out of the helmet that served as his head.

"Hey, Mister!" he chirped, "how do you make a Philosopher's Stone?"


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as Edward closed the door, he sighed. There was no reason for him to have gotten annoyed at everyone, he knew that. It was jsut so… tiring to have to relive teh memories day after day to curious strangers. His head hurt just thinking about it.

He ambled over to the bed that sat on the far wall of the room opposite the door. A single window let in a stream of multicolored light through the stained glass panels. Ed smiled to himself: it reminded him of the time he and Al had helped Rose at the church. Running a hand through his hair, he plopped himself down on the bed, mattress creaking under his weight.

"Time to get these babies off," he mumbled to himself, reaching for the prostethic arm. Gritting his teeth, he undid some of the mechanics, yanking it away from the socket. Wires protruded from the arm as it slid off, revealing railroad tracks of scars and stitches. Next was the leg, which was usually more painful for him.

"Need help?" said a voice, the breath hot against his skin. He snapped his head up, eyes bugging in his head. Turning his head around, there was no one there. _Strange…_ he thought, returning to his leg. The metal was cold against his fingers as he gripped it, knuckles turning almost white.

"That looks like it will be painful," the voice cooed- _A woman's voice?_ Ed realized as it went on, "how's about we just pull here?" He gasped as a pair of delicate hands suddenly shot out, grabbing the auto mail extremity.

"What the- AGGGAHHHHHA!" Ed's words were replaced with screams of agony as the hands suddenly yanked- and hard. Wires ripped away rom the carefully tangled mechanisms, and he could feel- no, _hear_- the ripping of muscles and sinew as the hands let the leg clatter to the floor. Blood dotted the wooden boards, like rain splashing against the windows.

"Shit!" the teenager spat out a curse as he clutched at the stump, blood trickling from the wound.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to curse in front of a lady?" said the woman from the shadows. Ed let his eyes search, staring into the deepest of the rooms corners.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he said, panting like a dog, chest heaving painfully.

"Don't you recognize my voice, Fullmetal Alchemist?" she said, full of malice as she appeared, walking out of the shadows. Ed gasped.

"No….." he mumbled. His body began to tremble violently, and the woman laughed, tossing her black hair over her shoulder, her gloved hands stroking the tattoo placed meticulously between her breasts.

"Oh yes," she smirked, black eyes glinting with hatred.


End file.
